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. R. STEVENSON.

.FIRE ESCAPE.'

N0.Yz92,767. Patented' Jan. 29, 1884.

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ATTORNEYS.

- WITNESSBS;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STR-OEBE, OF SAME PLACE, AND ABEL PECK, OF

NEV YORK.

NEWBURG,

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,767, dated January 29, 1884.`

Application filed March 1G, i883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT SrnvnNsoN, of Ferrysburg, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented a new and 'Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists of a balcony for cach story of the building, the balustrade and -iioor of which fold up against the sidewall un- These folding balconies are to be employedwhere permanent ones are not desired, and to be arranged for utilizing the floors for signboards.

Vhen the ladders are permanently xed at the ends of the balconies, they are to bc inclosed in a case for concealing the1n,with a device at each balcony for opening the door for access to the ladder, all as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to bchad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specificati on, in

which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure I is a front view of a building with my improved fire-escape applied and shown iu the open position for use and also folded u p, the ladder being of the portable kind that is stored up behind the folded balcony. Fig. 2 is a detail of the devicein section.

I make a balcony consisting of floor a and balustrade b, resting on brackets c, permanently attached to the side of the house, the balustrade being hinged to the iiooor at d, to fold down on it,as indicated by the dotted line e, and the floor being hinged to the wall (No model.)

atk f, to swing up against the side of the building, as indicated by the dotted line g, to enable the balcony to be swung up and folded against the front wall of the house, as`

represented in the lower part of Fig. 1, where it may remain until wanted for use, and may serve as a sign-board, if desired.

To secure the balcony in the folded position, one or more latches, 7L, are to be pivoted to the wall of the building, to swing down over the edge of the balcony-floor, or a valong the windows, as shown, and provided with a handle, Z, for each window, whereby the latches may be disconnected from any one of the windows to let the balconyfall upon the brackets c when required for use; and in order that the balustrade may also rise to its place automatically, I propose to connect it to the floor by springs m and eye-clips a, or any equivalent or suitable contrivance of the springs for the purpose.

It is intended to have the hinge-joints of the balustrade contrived to prevent it from swinging open beyond the vertical line; or stops of any kind may be attached for the purpose. i

A short ladder, @,may be stored on each balcony, to be connected by hooks p with a rod, q, on the end ofthe balcony, formeans of descent from one balcony to another.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by vLetters Patent- 1. The combination of a folding balcony, consisting of door a, hinged to the wall of the building, and balustrade b, hin ged to the floor, with supporting-'brackets c, permanently attached to the building, substantially as dcscribed.

2. A folding balcony, c b, one or more latches, h, and a rod, j, extending along the windows for working the latches, in combination with the side wall-of a building, substantially as described. A

Sgo

1 mld the portable ladder o, having hooks p, in i? combination with the side Wall 0f :i building, l substantially as described. I

irade I), hinged to the side of :L building7 and having springs on, :1nd eye-elips 11, 01. equivnlent1nem1s,f0r automatically raising the bnlustmde, substantially as described.

ROBERT STE/TESON.

3. The folding,` balcony (a b, having rod q,

lVitnesses:

ALOYS Binz, FANNH: Vr. BILZ,

4. A folding balcony-floor, (l, :1nd bains- 

